The number of unsolicited bulk emails (also known as “spam”) transmitted via the Internet has grown consistently over the past decade, with some researchers estimating that more than 80% of email is spam. Spam emails annoy consumers, consume precious network bandwidth and resources, and, in some cases, may be used as a vehicle for committing fraud.
In analyzing the widespread problem of spurn, researchers have estimated that a majority of spam emails originate from spambots on unsuspecting consumer computer systems. A spambot is a malicious program that is delivered to vulnerable computers via exploits. Upon launching, the spambot waits for commands from a malicious programmer's command and control center. Upon receiving a command, the spambot uses the unsuspecting consumer's computer to generate and transmit spam emails as directed by the command and control center.
Researchers have estimated that there are over 10 million spambots in existence today. By using unsuspecting consumer's computers, malicious programmers are able to generate tremendous amounts of spam with minimal risk of detection. As such, the instant disclosure identifies a need for identifying and eliminating spam bets from unsuspecting consumer's computer systems.